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Man began 220-pound weight loss journey by only eating 1 type of unseasoned vegetable – Fox News

Posted: August 14, 2020 at 11:44 pm

He's nocouch potato.

A Tennessee man changed his life and lost 220 pounds in an incredible weight loss journey that began with a two-week diet of unseasoned potatoes and eventually led to a love for fitness.

Dylan Wall weighed 425 pounds when he graduated high school in 2017. (SWNS)

Dylan Wall weighed 425 pounds when he graduated high school in 2017, South West News Service (SWNS) reports.The Dixon County man decided to make a lifestyle change when he visited Austin Peay State University for New Student Dayand realized he couldnt keep up.

'DR. PIMPLE POPPER' SHARES HOW SHE FIGHTS 'MASKNE' IN QUICK TUTORIAL VIDEO

During a tour of my college, I lost my group because I couldnt keep up, Wall explained. I knew I wouldnt be able to make it to my classes on time if I stayed on that course.

Around the same time, my sister also gave birth to my nephew, he continued. I didnt want to set that example for him. (SWNS)

Around the same time, my sister also gave birth to my nephew, he continued. I didnt want to set that example for him.

Before slimming down, Wall ate mostly fast food, processed carbs and meat. For breakfast, hed pick up McDonalds, ordering more fast fare than a normal portion, he said. For lunch, Wall would get a double portion of whatever was being served. Dinner, meanwhile, was less consistent, Wall said, as he would snack on and off until he went to bed which usually meant having two or three sandwiches.

MARI LLEWELLYN, INSTAGRAM FITNESS INFLUENCER AND ENTREPRENEUR, TALKS BUSINESSES AND BODY TRANSFORMATION

Other than when I left to go to school, I didn't really leave the house all that much, he recalled. It was pretty much like that until the day I graduated high school.

To begin the transformation, Wall yearned to break his flavor addiction for good. (SWNS)

To begin the transformation, Wall yearned to break his flavor addiction."

I started by doing a taste bud cleanse. I ate only potatoes with no seasoning for two weeks, he said. It really helped with my cravings.

After that, he cut out all dairy and red meatand doubled down on monitoring his daily diet.

For the most part, I just counted my calories, Wall said. I wanted to break my flavor addiction and didnt want to eat for pleasure.

It took just under a year to lose 180 pounds, he remembered. I didnt step into the gym until I lost that first bit of weight. (SWNS)

From there, Wall began eating egg whites with two slices of toast for breakfast, a turkey sub with no cheese for lunch, and a chicken breast with a variety of vegetables and rice for dinner.

It took just under a year to lose 180 pounds, he remembered. I didnt step into the gym until I lost that first bit of weight.

When the time felt right, Wall began exercising with cardio, in an endeavor that felt like the bane of my existence.With practice, he picked up the pace. Eventually, he could consistently run a7:30-minute mile, and also began to embrace upper body workouts, squats and deadlifts.

Wall said that he wanted to bulk up right away with muscle mass, after being left with extra skin after the dramatic weight loss.

The last 50 pounds came off a little bit slower. It took another year to get down that last 50 pounds, he said.

Wall said that he wanted to bulk up right away with muscle mass, after being left with extra skin after the dramatic weight loss. (SWNS)

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Looking ahead, the fitness fanatic now plans to have surgery to have his excess skin removed.

I dont think I knew how mentally taxing being left with the skin would be, he revealed. After coming this far and losing so much, Im still left with that reminder every day.

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Now, Wall hopes that his own fitness journey will motivate others to strive for their best selves.

I met my current girlfriend 50 pounds into my weight loss. Since we got together shes lost 75 pounds," he said.My dad also bet me $100 to see who could lose 60 pounds the fastest. I won, but he lost the 60 pounds too.

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Man began 220-pound weight loss journey by only eating 1 type of unseasoned vegetable - Fox News

Weight Loss and Weight Management Diet Market: Growth, Trends and Forecast (2021-2027) – Reported Times

Posted: August 14, 2020 at 11:44 pm

Aug 14, 2020 7:40 AM ET

iCrowd Newswire Aug 14, 2020

The report on the global weight loss and weight management diet market includes details about market segmentation based on product, sales channel and regional analysis. The report includes a brief overview of the market for weight loss and weight management diet along with current and future market trends. The research report considers 2017-2018 as historical years, 2019 as the base year, and provides an estimate for the forecast period of 2021-2027.

The report also includes the study of the global weight loss and weight management diet market with regards to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on market growth and revenue generation.

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Key players are extensively profiled in the research study by including their business overview, product portfolios, financial overviews, general information, strategic analysis and key developments. The market share of each profiled company is calculated by considering various parameters and future strategical outlook. The research report includes investment return analysis, SWOT analysis, feasibility analysis, PESTLE analysis, value chain analysis and Porters Five Forces analysis.

Key players profiled in the research report are:

Medifast, Inc., Ingredion, Kraft Foods, Inc., Weight Watchers, Inc., Abbott Laboratories Inc., Nutrisystem, Inc., General Mills Incorporation, Kellogg Company, Pepsico, Inc. and Cargill Incorporated among others.

The global weight loss and weight management diet market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.6% during the forecast period 2021-2027. As per the study, the weight loss and weight management diet industry is anticipated to reach $295.3 billion by the end of the year 2027.

The weight loss and weight management diet market growth is majorly driven by factors such as rise in number of obese population and growing health awareness among population. Whereas, high cost of weight management diet hampers the market growth.

The research report has been compiled on the basis of primary and subjective research with a comprehensive study by industry experts and market research professionals. The research report focuses on a detailed market understanding. The research report covers the current market situation, government policies, product advancements and growth opportunities of the market.

Weight loss and weight management diet market segmentation based on Product Type:

Weight loss and weight management diet market segmentation based on Sales Channel:

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The market research report on global weight loss and weight management diet industry include a detailed analysis on factors that impacts the market growth, limitations that would impact business expansion, restraints that might hamper the market growth and insights into the threats and opportunities that the industry may witness in the forthcoming years. Study of these qualitative factors offers a base to calculate CAGR of the industry and estimate the growth revenue through the forecast period.

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Weight Loss and Weight Management Diet Market: Growth, Trends and Forecast (2021-2027) - Reported Times

OSA Severity Reduced in Type 2 Diabetes With Lifestyle Interventions for Weight Loss – Pulmonology Advisor

Posted: August 14, 2020 at 11:44 pm

The use of intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes has been shown to reduce the overall severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to study results published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Researchers conducted the longitudinal randomized controlled Sleep AHEAD study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00194259) an ancillary study of Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) enrolled participants from 4 of the 16 Look AHEAD sites.

Investigators sought to establish whether initial benefit of intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss on OSA severity would be maintained at 10 years. The primary study objective was to determine whether the Look AHEAD intervention was associated with improvements in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) at 10 years and during the 10-year follow-up. Secondary objectives included determining whether this effect was independent of weight change and whether the intervention had an effect on changing an individuals OSA category.

Primary study inclusion criteria of Look AHEAD (and, thus, of Sleep AHEAD) were being between ages 45 and 7, having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 (or 27 kg/m2 if taking insulin), physician-verified type 2 diabetes, and hemoglobin A1c of <11%. Participants received either intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss or diabetes support and education (DSE). Of the 264 participants, 38.7% had mild OSA, 35.2% had moderate OSA, and 26.1% had severe OSA at baseline.

At 10 years, polysomnograms were obtained in 54% of those in the intensive lifestyle intervention group and in 48% of those in the DSE group. Mean weight losses in the intensive lifestyle intervention group at 1, 2, 4, and 10 years were 10.70.7 kg, 7.40.7 kg, 5.10.7 kg, and 7.10.8 kg, respectively. These weight losses were all significantly higher than the 1-kg weight loss at 1, 2, and 4 years, and the 3.50.8 kg weight loss at 10 years in the DSE group (P .0001).

The AHI was lower with intensive lifestyle intervention compared with DSE by 9.72.0, 8.02.0, and 7.92.2 events per hour at 1, 2, and 4 years, respectively (P .0004), and by 4.02.5 events per hour at 10 years (P =.109). Changes in AHI over time were associated with the amount of weight loss, baseline AHI, and year of the visit (P <.0001), as well as with the intervention independent of change in weight (P =.01). At 10 years, OSA remission occurred in more participants in the intensive lifestyle intervention compared with participants in DSE group (34.4% vs 22.2%, respectively).

The investigators concluded that although the greater improvement in OSA severity with intensive lifestyle intervention in the initial 4 years was no longer present at the 10-year follow-up and the greater weight loss in the intensive lifestyle intervention group also diminished at 10 years, overall OSA severity decreased across the 10-year study period with intensive lifestyle intervention. This improvement was associated with changes in body weight, greater severity of baseline OSA, and lifestyle intervention unrelated to weight change.

Reference

Kuna ST, Reboussin DM, Strotmeyer ES, et al; for the Sleep AHEAD Research Subgroup of the Look AHEAD Research Group. Effects of weight loss on obstructive sleep apnea severity: 10-year results of the Sleep AHEAD study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. Published online July 28, 2020. doi:10.1164/rccm.201912-2511OC

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OSA Severity Reduced in Type 2 Diabetes With Lifestyle Interventions for Weight Loss - Pulmonology Advisor

Midlife weight loss unlikely to reduce risk of an early death, scientists find – The Telegraph

Posted: August 14, 2020 at 11:44 pm

Midlife weight loss does not significantly reduce a person's risk of an early death because the damage has already largely been done, scientists have warned following a major study.

Researchers examined the data of 24,205 participants from 1998 to 2015 to track how changes in weight between young adulthood and later life affected health prospects.

The changes in Body Mass Index's (BMI) of the volunteers, aged 40-74 when they entered the study, were analysed over this period and compared with their index aged 25.

Scientists found that the participants whose BMI's fell from obese at age 25 down to overweightin midlife were 54 percent less likely to have died than those whose index's remained in the obeserange.

Analysis of the results indicated that 3.2 percent of the deaths would have been avoided if everyone with a BMI in the obeserange at age 25 had been able to slim down enough to drop down into the overweightcategory by midlife.

However, a similar reduction in death risk was not found in participants who lost weight later in life, with researchers suggesting this is because midlife weight loss is more closely tied to an ageing person's worsening general health.

The study, conducted by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), also foundthat weight loss was rare overall, as only 0.8% of participants had BMIs that went from the obeseto the overweightrange.

Although this study focused on preventing premature deaths, maintaining a healthy weight will also reduce the burden of many chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer,Dr JoAnn Manson, the study's co-author, noted.

Dr Andrew Stokes, assistant professor of global health at BUSPH, said: The results indicate an important opportunity to improve population health through primary and secondary prevention of obesity, particularly at younger ages.

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Midlife weight loss unlikely to reduce risk of an early death, scientists find - The Telegraph

Weight Loss Diet: 7 Signs That Tell You Are Making Progress Other Than The Weighing Scale – NDTV

Posted: August 14, 2020 at 11:44 pm

Weight loss: Clother fitting you more comfortably is a sign you are making progress

When you are trying to lose weight, the weighing scale might not always show progress. Inch loss, how well your clothes fit you, the improvement you experience while sleeping and your flexibility are some other signs that show you are making progress on a weight loss diet. The journey towards losing weight can be slightly demotivating for weight watchers, as and when they reach a weight loss plateau-the period when they stop losing weight despite exercising regularly and keeping their calorie check in control.

Many fitness experts and nutritionists believe that numbers on the weighing scale may not be the best indicators of your health, or that you are making progress and are getting fitter. Here are some other signs that show you are on the forward path in your weight loss regime:

1. Better sleep: If you sleep deep and wake up without feeling tired and bloated, then it is definitely indicative that you are fitter and making progress.

Also read:Weight Loss: 4 Changes You Need To Make To Your Night-Time Routine For Better Digestion And Good Sleep

2. More energy: When you get fitter, lethargy, fatigue, laziness and sleepiness throughout the day are much lesser. A fit body can make a person feel more motivated towards achieving more and being productive, with definitely higher levels of energy.

3. Increased water intake: Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, in her book Don't Lose Your Mind Lose Your Weight, talks about how most people drink only as much water till it satisfies their thirst. The journey towards weight loss is incomplete without sufficient, and comparatively higher water intake than earlier. If your water intake has significantly increased, then it is surely a sign you are making progress.

Increased water intake is a sign that you are making progress on weight loss dietPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Weight Loss: What Is Water Fasting? Know Pros And Cons Of This Unique Diet Plan

4. You are more active and physically flexible: Getting fitter and losing weight can make you physically active and also physically more flexible. You will be able to better perform some exercises and yoga poses. Body strength and stamina will also show improvement.

5. Clothes fitting better, more comfortably: This is usually a sign of inch loss. There can be times when you are not making progress on the weighing scale but are losing inches. Your clothes become looser and you feel more comfortable in them. After all, there's no better feeling than fitting in an old jeans right?

6. You are exercising more often: If you have started exercising more often and it makes you feel lighter and more positive, it is a sign that you are making progress on your fitness regime. When you exercise regularly, it makes you feel light, with lesser stress and also gives a feeling of accomplishment. Getting regular at exercise is a sign that you are making progress in your weight loss journey.

7. Better exercise performance: Improved levels of fitness and lower weight can make you run faster, lift heavier weights and exercise for longer periods of time.

Also read:Want Flat Abs Without Going To The Gym? Here Are 6 Body Weight Exercises You Can Do

So, apart from the numbers on the weighing scale, these are the signs that you can watch for and bank on.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Weight Loss Diet: 7 Signs That Tell You Are Making Progress Other Than The Weighing Scale - NDTV

Israeli Biomed Epitomee partners with Nestle to market globally coveted weight loss solution – Geektime

Posted: August 14, 2020 at 11:44 pm

Global leader in nutritional science Nestle Health Science announced that it has signed a strategic partnership with Israeli based Biomed company, Epitome Medical, which was founded in 2005 by Shimon Eckhouse, Ph.D. The joint venture will lead the development and commercialization of Epitomees weight loss product, which should be a desired solution considering half the world has been locked in making cakes and various kinds of bread for the past 5 months.

The Epitomee Capsule is a patented product that has produced positive trials and results, demonstrating weight loss and nutritional efficiency, and will be sold in both Europe and the U.S. as a medical prescription.

Hans-Juergen Woerle, Chief Scientific & Medical Officer of Nestl Health Science, said, "The research and development that Epitomee is doing is very promising. We look forward to working together to realize the commercialization of the product, an innovative approach to reducing weight and managing other associated metabolic health co-morbidities."

The agreement states that Nestle will receive exclusive commercial rights to market and sell the prescription weight loss pill. Nestle will leverage the companys global reach and vast expertise to bring the product to the global market. In addition, the capsule will be trialed and developed under the Nestle umbrella in an effort to advance potential other uses for the pill as a treatment for prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

Epitomee CEO Dan Hashimshony, PhD commented, "This transformational deal is another recognition of the good science, hard work, commitment, and vision of our team. Nestl Health Science is an ideal strategic partner for Epitomee. This partnership around the Epitomee Capsule will enable the worldwide scale-up this product deserves. Our strategic intent to develop more science-based nutritional health solutions and focus on fighting metabolic disorders."

Epitomes ingestible device in the form of an easy to administrate capsule focuses on inducing a feeling of satiety and reduces caloric intake to address metabolic disorders. Basically, the capsule makes the user feel full, treating not only those who want to shed a few pounds, but targeted as a treatment that could potentially provide a path to a healthier lifestyle. A nutritional solution to treat obesity, which has been a global pandemic long before COVID knocked on our doors.

Shimon Eckhouse PhD chairman of the board and co-founder of Epitomee said "The Epitomee capsule and its associated technology platform is offering, for the first time, a safe and effective solution for almost 1 billion people around the world suffering from over-weight and its comorbidities. We are proud to team up with Nestl Health Sciences to bring our proprietary technology to the large number of people around the globe suffering from metabolic syndrome."

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Israeli Biomed Epitomee partners with Nestle to market globally coveted weight loss solution - Geektime

Nutritionist Praises Kelly Osbourne’s Plant-Based Diet That Helped Her Lose 85lb – Plant Based News

Posted: August 14, 2020 at 11:43 pm

Kelly Osbourne said she used to overeat when she was emotionally upset

A nutritionist has praised Kelly Osbourne's plant-based diet, after the star revealed it helped her lose a staggering 65lb.

Osbourne shared her weight loss news on Instagram earlier this week, making mainstream media headlines.

According to the Daily Mirror, the star has credited her plant-based diet with helping her lose weight and improve her relationship with food.

Osbourne once said she put pounds on after overcoming her drug addiction, saying: "I replaced the drugs with food and just got fatter and fatter. I'm an emotional eater. When I get upset, my diet goes out the window."

It was changing her lifestyle that helped her tackle her weight, she admitted, telling HuffPost: "Once I learned how to work out right and eat right, it's one of those things that you just have to commit to a life change rather than being on a diet."

Now a nutritionist has praised plant-based diets in a Marie Claire article titled Kelly Osbourne lost six stone by going vegan: three nutritionists share if the diet is good for weight loss.

Nutritionist Lauren Windas said plant-based diets 'can be beneficial for weight loss if meals often include more of an abundance of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds' and legumes, which are relatively low in calories and can support metabolic health.

Marie Claire added: "Emphasis here on the if, but if you do adopt a well-balanced vegan lifestyle packed with nutrient-dense foods and maintain a calorie deficit in doing so, the likelihood is you'll lose weight. Plus, you'll be nourishing your body while doing so. Win, win."

She added that because plant-based diets tend to be higher in fiber, people following them often feel 'fuller and more energized'.

"This could lead to reduced calorie consumption and potentially less snacking between meals, which could in turn result in weight loss," she said.

Not all the nutritionists were totally positive, with some criticisms of plant-based diets including that people should plan to ensure they aren't becoming nutrient deficient in B12 and iron (just as those following omnivorous diets should).

Irrespective of reporting, it's important to note that major nutritional bodies, including the British and American Dietetic Associations, say that plant-based diets can be suitable for all stages of life.

"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases," the American Dietetic Association says.

"Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes."

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Nutritionist Praises Kelly Osbourne's Plant-Based Diet That Helped Her Lose 85lb - Plant Based News

Is It Safe to Go to the Dentist While Pregnant? – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Posted: August 14, 2020 at 11:43 pm

Pregnancy is a time for many healthcare visits. While its tempting to skip the dentist, thats one appointment you shouldnt put off.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

Why? Pregnancy puts you at risk for dental problems, so its important to continue getting oral care, says Ob/Gyn Julian Peskin, MD.

In this Q&A, he answers some common questions about pregnancy and oral health.

A. As most pregnant women realize, pregnancy ramps up hormones. And that increased hormone load can cause your gums to swell. Swollen gums can trap food and result in gum disease or infection.

The other hormone-driven concern is morning sickness. When you vomit, the acid that comes up from the stomach can eat away at tooth enamel. Morning sickness can also make you less likely to brush your teeth, because the gag reflex and nausea are so strong. Without proper dental hygiene, your oral health is in jeopardy.

A. Severe periodontal disease can result in potential complications to your pregnancy. Many studies link periodontal disease to:

We believe that gum disease results in bacteria getting into your bloodstream and causing an inflammatory response in the body. Proper dental care can stop this process from starting.

A. The benefits of seeing a dentist far outweigh the risks. If you need:

A. Some procedures cant wait, like treatment for an abscess. And the good news is, you dont have to wait. Its perfectly fine to have gum surgery or other major dental work performed during pregnancy.

Just alert your dentist so they can choose an antibiotic that is safe during pregnancy. Dentists will avoid prescribing tetracycline, which can stain your fetuss teeth.

A. The keys to good oral health are the same whether or not youre pregnant. Brush twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste and continue to floss. You can also use a fluoridated mouthwash that doesnt contain alcohol.

If you experience vomiting during pregnancy, protect your teeth by rinsing with a solution of water plus one teaspoon of baking soda. And if morning sickness makes you want to retch when brushing, ask your dentist for a bland-tasting toothpaste.

A. Continue to see your dentist for routine care every six months. Plus, eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes these vitamins and minerals:

Start your babys oral hygiene now! A babys first teeth begin to develop about three months into your pregnancy. Diets containing dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, provide essential minerals and are good for your babys developing teeth, gums and bones.

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Is It Safe to Go to the Dentist While Pregnant? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

If You are what you eat, whats in a Burmese Python? – Florida Keys Weekly

Posted: August 13, 2020 at 4:55 pm

Christina Romagosa is a research associate professor in the University of Floridas Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation in Gainesville, Florida, but much of her work is in South Florida. Her research focuses on how ecosystems respond to invasive species, or non-native species that do harm to the ecosystem. Now, shes focusing on invasive Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park especially whats inside them.

So what is it about pythons that got you hooked? Im very interested in invasion ecology. I wanted to learn more about how this top predator, the python, can affect all the fauna [animals]. This one animal can affect the birds, can affect the mammals, and can have some effect on the reptiles. What happens when the Burmese python is present and how does that change the Everglades ecosystem?

Did you always know you were going to work in science? In college, I hadnt come across any well-known biologists that came from my ethnic background and that made me feel a little alone. When I read Ariel Lugos interview (in my undergraduate biology textbook), I found it amazing that he was Puerto Rican and featured in the ecology section. Im Cuban and I had never met anyone else with a Latinx background that had success in the field of ecology. It was very motivating.

And now you can be a role model for your students. I never think of myself as a role model, but it makes me so happy to have students pull me aside to say that my being here makes them feel like they can do this because we have the same ethnic background. Im their Ariel Lugo!

What motivated your studies on python diets? When we started this project, people had knowledge of the python diet. We knew that the majority of their diet was mammals. But we wanted to document and identify those animal groups that are most at risk of predation. Also, the insertion of a predator like a python into any ecosystem could cause changes in the food web called trophic cascades. We wanted to answer questions such as: How does an invasive species affect food webs in the greater Everglades? Does the python diet vary across space and time?

How did you get the pythons for your python diet project? I work with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service, and as part of the collaboration, I receive pythons that are brought to the park after they are caught either on or near park lands. USGS and park scientists perform necropsies (an autopsy of an animal) and extract the gut contents. At our lab, we clean (a subset of) the contents so we can see the structures better and find out what those pythons ate. We find hair, teeth and feathers, and the animals are identified visually from those structures by looking through a microscope.

Identifying by eye seems difficult. You never use DNA? Project collaborators at USGS tried to extract DNA and it didnt work. We dont really know whats going on, but if you are extracting diet contents from a pythons lower gut, the DNA extraction doesnt work. We think that the python stomach must be really acidic and that completely degrades the DNA.

What have you found in the pythons guts? Pythons have a pretty broad diet, but within the lower part of Everglades National Park, such as in the Mahogany Hammock and Flamingo areas, pythons are primarily eating rodents like hispid cotton rats. Depending on where the pythons come from, well find other mammals like opossums, wading birds, alligators and weve even gotten iguana.

Tell me more about the crazy lung parasite in Pythons. Pythons here have this crazy lung parasite thats native to Asia and theyve brought it over to Florida.

Its a pentastome species, Raillietiella orientalis, and is actually more closely related to crustaceans (like sea lice) than nematodes (worm-like parasites). Many snake species native to Florida are highly susceptible to infection from this parasite.

We found that R. orientalis infected 13 species of native snakes, and that the infection rate was actually higher in the native snakes compared to pythons. The native snakes were more likely to be infected by the parasite and contained more parasites per host, compared with pythons.

Do you know how native snakes are affected by these pentastomes? They (the native snakes) can have a lot of pentastomes in their lungs, and some have so many it can affect how they breathe. We found 77 pentastomes in one snake! More importantly, we are finding these pentastomes in native snakes where Burmese pythons are not found yet, so the native snakes could be giving them to each other.

-Antonia Florio, Everglades National Park

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If You are what you eat, whats in a Burmese Python? - Florida Keys Weekly

Over the Counter: Getting ready for back to school and work – Milford Daily News

Posted: August 13, 2020 at 4:55 pm

In August, we are normally preparing our children for school. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many adults may also be getting ready for a return to work in person for the first time since March. Be it in a school building, office complex or other place of employment, theres a lot to think about to ensure that the first day back gets off to a good start.

With countless changes and new safety protocols, we have come up with several rules of thumb to consider:

Dont go back if you pose a risk.

This is an easy one. If you or your children have COVID-19 symptoms, or have come into contact with someone who has symptoms, continue to isolate or quarantine pending the results of a test. We all have a responsibility to our community to stay put if we pose a risk to others.

Waiting for the right time to return to regular activities is crucial. Follow Massachusetts guidelines and be sure to self-quarantine for 14 days after exposure and self-isolate for at least seven days if you tested positive and have mild symptoms that are improving.

Be prepared to not go back.

Mentally and physically we need to be prepared to not return to our offices or for our children to not go back to the schoolhouse. It will be important to stay informed and make note of your communitys policies and guidelines coming from the Commonwealth.

Stock up on supplies.

As folks return to work and school, there will be plenty of bathroom tissue on supermarket shelves, but youll need to invest in hand sanitizer, sanitary wipes and face masks. While your employer and schools should have plenty, its best to be safe and stock up on medical-grade hand sanitizer that is at least 65 percent alcohol and wash your hands with soap and water frequently. It will also be wise to have enough masks for the school and workweek so you have a fresh, clean mask each day.

You should also consider other available supplies that can help support your immune system. For example, there are many versatile supplements like zinc, elderberry and vitamin C that each support immune health and can help your body fight the coronavirus.

Be mindful of stressors.

While we discussed managing your stress during the pandemic in a recent Over the Counter column and its benefits for your health and immune system, it will be important to take note of your familys behavioral health as well. Be mindful of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions signs of anxiety and depression in your children, like fear toward people or places and altered eating patterns, and facilitate an open dialogue with your entire family to gauge how they are feeling as things return to normal. If you or a loved one are feeling depressed, seek guidance from a behavioral health clinician.

Pack a healthy lunch.

Once youre back on the job, dont rush to your favorite lunch counter too quickly for two reasons: to avoid unnecessary contact and to eat healthily. Limiting your trips to busy lunch-hour destinations will help ensure youre not coming into contact with COVID-19. It will also be an opportunity to continue the healthy eating habits that we recommended in an Over the Counter column earlier this summer, including consuming a nutrient-rich diet that can boost your immune system.

The same goes for your children. Schools have done a great job creating balanced and healthy meal options that millions of youths rely on, but packing a lunch box with some extra healthy snacks or lunch alternatives are the best way to make sure your children are getting the nutrients they need.

Dont forget to exercise and sleep well.

Just because youre headed back to work doesnt mean you should curtail your home workout routine. Theres a good reason why children have recess and gym class. Try to continue those push-ups, crunches and virtual yoga sessions at home before or after work, or in the office on your break. Some virtual yoga sessions can be done with a chair in as little time as 15 minutes.

At the very least, continue to get outside every day. Take a 15-minute walk during the workday, or carve out some time before or after work to get out and soak up some of the suns vitamin D.

We likely dont have to remind you of the importance of sleep on your immune system or your childrens development. But if you are having trouble getting to bed earlier since youre waking up earlier to get your kids ready and to commute, consider natural sleep remedies like magnesium, melatonin and lavender oil.

Things will certainly be different, but by practicing common sense and working to ensure the health and safety of you and your family, youll be better prepared to navigate the new normal.

Gary Kracoff has a degree in naturopathic medicine and is a registered pharmacist and John Walczyk is a compounding pharmacist at Johnson Compounding & Wellness in Waltham, Mass. For more information, visit http://www.naturalcompounder.com. Readers with questions about natural or homeopathic medicine, compounded medications, or health in general can email gary@naturalcompounder.com or call 781-893-3870.

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